Best Day Trips from Osaka by train

Osaka might not exude beauty the way Kyoto might, but the city definitely has charm, color, and great food. Set in the Kansai region, Japan’s third largest city is extremely well connected and has plenty of surprises in store.

If you’re a foodie, Osaka is the place to be. Its unofficial slogan is kruidaore which means ‘eat until you drop’.  A highly photogenic spot in the city is Dōtombori, here you will find several pedestrian streets and numerous illuminated billboards. One of the most famous signs is the Glico Running Man.

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Best Michelin star restaurants in Japan

Are you a foodie – someone who eats, not just out of hunger, but because you have an ardent interest in food and make enjoying it your hobby? Do you like to travel? Trying new foods – and splurging beyond the ordinary – are two of the best aspects of travel.

Today, dedicated foodies go out of their way, sometimes making international sojourns, to sample the best foods that the world has to offer. Michelin-starred restaurants, ranked among the best in the world, are frequent destinations.

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Alfa-X Shinkansen: The 400 km/h Bullet Train

The next generation of Shinkansen bullet trains has already begun testing. The state-of-the-art ‘Alfa-X’ travels up to 400 km/h (almost 250 mph!) and has a range of groundbreaking features.

Journalists were first treated to a trial run of the experimental craft on 27th October 2020, between Sandai and Morioka stations on the JR East Tohoku Shinkansen line, which links Tokyo with Aomori Prefecture in the north of Honshu, Japan’s largest island.

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Christmas in Japan: Facts and traditions

Christmas is in the air! While it isn’t a national holiday in Japan, since only about 1 percent of the whole population in Japan is Christian, it’s still felt throughout the country.

If you are visiting before the New Year in Japan, you will find many things traditionally associated with Christmas: decorations, Christmas markets, and magnificent lights. You can also discover a few unique Japanese traditions with numerous charms that can and should be appreciated in their own right. So while it may be a little different from what you might be used to, Christmas is still felt and celebrated in the land of the rising sun.

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Harajuku Travel guide: Tokyo’s fashion district

Surrounding JR Tokyo’s Harajuku Station is an area known as Harajuku. It has been called “the center of Japan’s most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles”, and as such draws a youthful crowd from across Japan and around the world. The most prominent area of this Harajuku style is Takeshita Dori, or Takeshita Street, along with its side roads, all of which are lined with shops, restaurants, and food stands.

Harajuku is not only a land of youthful fantasy, however. It is also home to historic sites and shopping venues catering to adults. If you plan on visiting this district of Tokyo, allow the following travel guide to show you the ways in which Harajuku has something to offer for any age group.

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The best manga and anime locations in Japan

To many, the artistic styles of anime cartoons and manga comic books are synonymous with Japanese culture. Not only are these entertainments enjoyed within Japan, but fans flock from around the world to experience anime themed places and events. Consider this list of some of the best anime and manga experiences that Japan has to offer.

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